Three Horns Never Play With Long Necks
-Driving around Iacon near the Decagon is a large drill tank. Quickswitch revels in the relative freedom and touch of treads to ground, "Just need something to dig," he remarks happily to himself. He is without his Senate Enforcers for the time being, and that pleases him immensely. -Not too far away is the space ship that had touched down a few cycles past. As Quickswitch gets closer, he'll probably hear the sound of a female voice cursing, though he won't immediately be able to see her. -Oh? What's that? Quickswitch wonders as he heads closer. Rather, -who-'s that? He doesn't transform, too contented to for the moment. But there's something wrong, "Hello? Is something wrong? May I be of assistance?" -Moments later a sliding sound is heard and then a pair of legs pop out from under the shuttle. Seconds after that the whole of Moonlight rolls out on a flat surface with wheels. Sitting up she peers around. Spotting the tank, she waves a greasy hand. "Hey there Tank-guy," she calls. "Do you know much about shuttles?" she inquires. -"Hmmm," Quickswitch says, full of thought, "Can't say I do. But I know all about Marksmanship, Aerial, Marine, Close-Quarters combat and Metallikato, if you need help with those," it's hard to say whether the sixchanger is being playful or serious. -"Metali-what-now?" Moonlight asks, pulling herself to her feet and picking up the little slidy thing. "Can't say I've ever heard of that." She looks at the tank for a few moments. Gauging by his colours, he could be the rather serious faced fellow from the other evenings. Wiping her hands on a rag she says, "Just give me a moment; gonna tuck this thing inside where it belongs." And she retreats back into the space ship. -Quickswitch waits outside. He transforms to beast mode and stretches languidly, enjoying the tug upon his cables and servos. He gives a big beastly yawn and watches for Moonlight, "What do you have there?" he inquires with a cat's curiousness. -Moonlight comes out a few moments later. "Oh, that board with wheels? It just helps a person slide under a craft to see if there's any problems on the underside of it. Really handy in places where most of the vehicles and shuttles AREN'T living beings," she says easily. Staring she can't help but notice that the tank isn't a tank anymore. "Well now, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" she asks with a grin. -The beast laughs, rough and feline, "Oh I have a surprise or two," and wouldn't you know it, the beast appears to wink! "I've never seen one of those apparatuses before." the beast transforms into a robot with a serene smile, "Was just out getting some exercise. What's wrong with your shuttle. Maybe we can find someone." -Moonlight shrugs her shoulders. "I'm not a mechanic or anything, but I can do a few things to patch the old girl. Ship still works, but she's not in the best shape." She sighs. "I doubt anyone 'round here has time for this though, especially if space ships are pretty much defunct these days." Tilting her head to the side, she says, "I don't believe I got your name last time." -"Oh--" Quickswitch points a thumb at himself, "I'm Quickswitch, Elite Guard in training," he sounds not a little proud, "As for space-travel, I can only reach sub-orbital space myself. Ah, I have a jet more too." -"So, you really /are/ full of surprises then. I've only got the two modes, and I'm quite content with that. Still, that's pretty impressive, I must say," Moonlight says, despite herself. "So, what does an 'elite' guard do that other guards do not?" she is curious to know. -Quickswitch considers what Moonlight is saying, "I was Chosen because I'm one of only two sixchangers--that is to say I have six modes--on the planet," at this, pure ego alights within him and he smiles smugly, "When I'm finished training, I'll be Elite Guard to not just anyone, not the Senate, but the Prime himself," Reverence buoys his voice. -"Now, the Prime is the big boss himself, yeah? Head of the law and all that? So, what does the Senate do then?" Cybertronian politics are not something Moonlight knows a lot about. -Quickswitch's face darkens mysteriously at this, "The /Senate/ governs," he sounds quite dissatisfied and clipped, makes a sweeping gesture with his arm, "Along with the Functionist Council they determine life on this entire /planet./" Quickswitch's distate is evident. But, he harbours doubts, evident on his face, doesn't the Senate also provide for him? -Moonlight shrugs her shoulders. "I'm going to guess the Functionist Council are the bossy guys who tell people what jobs they have to do because of what they turn into, yeah?" Trying to grasp the situation here is a bit of a work in progress for the off-worlder. "How did they handle a big fella like you with so many modes?" It's not surprising that she's curious about this one. -The sixchanger's face gravitates from doubt to one of fear creeping into his features, "I--I--They--" Enough! And the sixchanger speaks, "...The Senate made me alternate-mode exempt, that is to say I can choose whichever job I wish... However, they deemed me the Elite Guard to the Prime..." His expression softens, "So here I am." He nods, "Yeah, the Functionist Council decides what job you have based on your alternate mode. For some Cybertronians it can really stink, but I have no complaints myself." -Moonlight nods her head to this, watching the change of emotion with keen interest. "Well, I've never had to deal with anything like that before. I guess I've been a bit of a free spirit roaming around in space so much," she says, rubbing left arm with her right hand. She lowers her voice in a confidential tone. "To be honest, I'm kind of nervous about this 'assessor' thing." -"You don't need to worry," Quickswitch gives a friendly smile, "I never experienced that process but from what I know of it, they just assess your abilities and from that, determine your job. Nothing painful," Quickswitch tries his best to reassure, then asks, head-fins tilting with curiousity, "How did you come to Cybertron?" -"By space ship of course," Moonlight says with a cheeky grin. "But really it's because the crew I bounced around space with got in over their head and made some bad enemies. So I came here because I know the toughs they sent after us wouldn't come here 'cause of the lockdown, clampup, or whatever it is that keeps people stuck on the planet. It was a gamble; not sure if it's paid off or not." -"The Clampdown," Quickswitch utters crisply, "And I hope it works out for you." -Moonlight shrugs and then laughs. "Thanks," she says, not at all bothered by the crispness of his tone. "I knew it was /something/ like that." The femme is irreverent by nature, but honestly, it's not her world so it wasn't as vital to remember the terminology. "Me too. Now I just have to scarce up the courage to go through with it." -"Eh, courage is no big deal," so says the mech with six modes and nothing really to fear because of it, "I doubt they'll hurt you or anything, but you're going to want to avoid being deemed disposible caste. Those are objects with a function rather than Cybertronians with a job, so it's very important to be at least Middle caste or above." -Moonlight smiles faintly. "I'll likely rank low, but not disposable. My alternate mode is useful, if not particularly special or impressive." She shrugs her shoulders. "Most likely I'll just end up doing what I did back on my homeworld before I made the known universe my playground. It will be dull but," and she shrugs, "it's better than being dead in my opinion." -"...Elites do not associate with Lower Caste..." the Autobot utters, "...So it is not very likely we will see each other a third time..." -"Well, we could still /see/ each other, you just probably wouldn't stop to talk to me," Moonlight says, being ultra-literal for the laughs. "I'll just have to see how things go when I run in. As long as you don't hold her caste against little ol' Moonlight, I'll forgive you for giving me the cold shoulder." She winks again. -Quickswitch laughs lightly but wonders just how caste will determine their future interactions, if any. The sixchanger says abruptly and transforms into jet mode, all mirth gone, "...I must be going... The Senate will begin to wonder my whereabouts..." -"Well, it was nice seeing you again, and in case it's the last time, take care of yourself," Moonlight says with a shrug. Yeah, she's friendly enough, but she isn't going to shed any tears or lose any sleep if she doesn't see the guy again. She's not quick to form attachments. On the other hand, she's never had some nameless, faceless council of people telling her who she can, or cannot, associate with. She juts out her chin just the slightest bit as some defiant thoughts flit through her mind. -Quickswitch inwardly notes the defiance and half admires Moonlight for it, "See you again some time, huh!" Quickswitch rockets off back to the Decagon.